Making the decision to migrate to the cloud is a big one for any business. It can be daunting, and there are a lot of things that need to be taken into account in order to make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible. Having a solid cloud migration plan in place (along with specifically outlined cloud migration steps) is key to ensuring the process goes right the first time (because having the whole process fail is costly, both in terms of time and money).
And with more businesses swiftly adopting a cloud-first approach to data storage and applications management, choosing to now switch to the cloud is likely to leave you in the dust of your competitors.
To help you stay ahead of the curve and keep your competitive edge, we’ve put together this list of 10 steps you need to take in order to ensure a successful cloud migration.
Understanding the Cloud Migration Process: What Is Cloud Migration?
Cloud migration is the process of moving data, applications and other IT components to a cloud environment. Doing so is a very important process for our current technological and business landscape, and can often be highly complex.
More specifically, it involves transferring existing on-premises IT infrastructure and services to the cloud, requiring modifications to both the software and hardware in order to make it suitable for a cloud-based delivery model.
It is, therefore, essential that organizations comprehend the basics of this process before they get started, as even small issues can be costly in both time and money if not addressed properly.
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By understanding how the process of migrating to the cloud works, you have a higher chance of a successful first-time migration, and enjoying the resulting benefits of increased efficiency, potential cost savings and improved scalability of services.
The 10 Main Cloud Migration Steps for a Successful Initial Migration
Whether you’re planning for a simple lift and shift, application migration only or a more complex plan to adopt a hybrid cloud model, following these 10 essential steps for application migration to the cloud will drastically improve your odds of success on the first attempt.
So without any further delay, here are the 10 most important steps in cloud migration:
1. Research & Planning
Before making the decision to migrate to the cloud, it is essential that you do your research and plan out how you are going to undertake this process.
Consider what applications, services, and data need to be migrated and create a timeline for when they need to be completed by.
2. Assess Your IT Environment
Before migrating, assess your current IT environment as well as any potential risks associated with cloud migration so you can properly prepare for them.
This includes understanding where all of your data is stored, who has access to it and evaluating if there are any security or compliance issues that need to be considered.
3. Develop a Cloud Migration Strategy
Once you have identified what needs to be moved into the cloud, create a migration strategy that outlines the key steps and timelines for the process. This will help you to stay on track and ensure nothing is missed.
4. Choose Your Cloud Platform
Once your research has been completed, it’s time to choose which cloud platform best suits your needs. Consider factors such as scalability, cost, security, flexibility and performance when making this decision.
Cloud platforms come in three different formats (AKA the type of cloud model you will operate within) that are:
- Private Cloud
- Public Cloud
- And Hybrid Cloud
Be sure to know exactly what cloud services your business will require now and in the future.
5. Identify & Minimize Risk Factors
Before beginning any cloud migration project, identify any potential risks associated with such a transition and minimize them where possible by creating appropriate backups of data or other resources.
6. Prepare Infrastructure for Migration
It’s essential that infrastructure components are prepared properly before attempting any kind of cloud migration. This means ensuring that all of the necessary hardware, software and other components are ready to go before getting started.
Learn even more about the cloud and how to choose the right MSP when looking for professional IT help: |
7. Install Necessary Tools
Once the infrastructure has been prepared, it’s time to install any necessary tools such as cloud migration software or APIs that may be needed in order to make the transition successful.
8. Migrate Data & Applications
Now it’s time to begin migrating data and applications over to your chosen platform using the tools you have installed.
Make sure you test regularly throughout this process in order to ensure everything is functioning correctly once completed.
9. Monitor & Test
After the entire process has been completed, monitor performance closely and test any new services or features in the cloud environment to ensure that everything is working properly.
10. Optimize Performance
After the migration is complete, focus on optimizing performance and scalability in order to get the most out of your cloud services. This may include implementing additional resources or making minor changes to existing services.
By following these steps, you should be able to successfully perform both an application migration’s cloud steps (as well as data) to a cloud-based platform with minimal disruption. With careful planning and preparation, organizations can take full advantage of the benefits of cloud migration while still maintaining security, cost savings and scalability of their IT infrastructure.
Getting Help with Your Steps for Cloud Migration with Executech
At Executech, we understand how important it is to make sure that your cloud migration is done properly and efficiently.
We are experienced in providing end-to-end cloud solutions for organizations of all sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises. Our team of experts can help you at every stage of the migration process, from planning and preparing infrastructure to completing the actual transition.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist with your cloud migration needs.
To learn more about cloud computing & backup, check out our Ultimate Guide To Cloud Computing!
